Precious Moments
by Flawless Soul
Summary: They were rare, these moments, but the coach always adored gazing at her captain. Especially when she knew he wouldn't notice.


**Author's Note: **I wrote this last year and it was originally meant to be part of a three chaptered one-shot. Unfortunately, I never got to finish it and I forgot what my original idea for this story was. (I'm sorry, heh.)

Anyway, I rediscovered this piece today and thought it was good as a standalone. :) Please enjoy.

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**One Shot: Precious Moments**

Riko yawned, as she leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms to the ceiling. A pop from her stiff bones sounded and she groaned, twisting this way and that as she stretched just a bit more. Geez, just how long had she been sitting in that exact spot?

_Around ten minutes? _a small voice in her head snorted.

Her muscles loosened, she settled back into her seat and leaned forward, setting her elbow on her desk and propping her chin on her hand. A little miffed, she stared at the young man sitting across the table and rolled her eyes.

Only _Hyuuga_ would ask for her help with homework and promptly_ fall asleep_ not five minutes later. Really, she'd even taken the time off revising her own homework just to sit here and help him.

She didn't mind though. She quite enjoyed the view before her after all.

His thin-framed glasses sat askew on his nose, his mouth ajar as he comfortably rested his chin on his chest. He didn't snore – not even with his mouth open like that, she thought, astounded – but the movement his deep breaths brought to his form was endearing in a calm, steady way. His right hand, which had been clutching a mechanical pencil, rested on the table, limp. Hyuuga's hair, the jet black that it was, shone to a dark brown from the afternoon sunlight filtering through the classroom window. Overall, it was certainly the most peaceful she had seen him in a while.

On impulse, she reached across the table and gently pulled the mechanical pencil from his yielding fingers. It wouldn't do to have him wake up to the sound of his pencil dropping noisily onto the table. Riko wanted to cherish this moment.

As soon as the mechanical pencil was in her possession, she glanced back at Hyuuga again, noting his softened features. She'd always ever seen three sides of an alert Hyuuga Junpei.

The first she thought of was his calm facet. She liked that side because nowadays, it practically _glowed_ with confidence. It made him stand out on the court, _not_ that he didn't before, but now it brought him a sense of presence – a presence of that of a _captain_. It was exhilarating just thinking about it.

Another side was perhaps the 'scarier' side of him – at least the first-years had called it that anyway – and this was when he was peeved off or when his pride as a senior was threatened. Often, when seen in this mode, he would habitually shoot heated remarks at his targets, most of them juniors. She found that side the most amusing, mainly because he always got away with swear words and name-calling.

The last, however, was the most prevalent and that was when he was concentrating on basketball with sweat dripping from his brow. His eyes would be narrowed in focus, his lips and brows set in a firm line... Riko decided she loved that look. Whenever he was concentrating as she watched, it was always as if the world had fallen away and it was just him... and her. She always wished moments like those would last forever.

Hyuuga was no extraordinary player like Bakagami or the Generation of Miracles. He was his own player, average in everything but in shooting, in which he exceeded at – especially during a clutch time.

Yes, Riko loved all the sides of an alert Hyuuga. But a sleeping Hyuuga was just as loveable.

Nothing could compare to the relaxed features of his face or how his partially open mouth made her want to kiss him senseless. She smiled to herself, blushing furiously at her train of thought, before reaching out a hand and resting it just beside his. Ever so gently, she brushed her fingers against his and breathed a sigh of contentment.

No matter how much time she was losing on all her school work, she would give anything to keep having these precious moments with him.


End file.
